Developments in the Middle East – Monday 16 Jun 2025

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16/06/2025 09:13 Israel and Iran are continuing to strike each other as the death toll from the weekend reaches hundreds, with many more injured. The strikes come as Group of Seven leaders meet in Canada, with the current escalations expected to dominate talks. Listen to SBS Indonesian every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 3 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to our podcasts .

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ABC News

an hour ago

• ABC News

Is Iran close to building a nuke? Trump says his intelligence community 'is wrong'

"My intelligence community is wrong." With those words, Donald Trump waved away the advice of the entire US spy infrastructure — from the CIA, to the Defence Intelligence Agency, to the intelligence arms of the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force — and its assessment that Iran was not trying to build a nuclear weapon. That assessment was presented to the US Congress in March by Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's hand-picked director of National Intelligence. "The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon," Ms Gabbard said. "Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised a nuclear weapon program that he suspended in 2003." On Wednesday, Donald Trump said simply, "She's wrong." As is so often the case under Trump, what once would have been a breathtaking shattering of norms is just another day. Trump's rejection of the intelligence community's advice has deep resonance in the United States, and particularly among Trump's MAGA base in the Republican Party. Trump campaigned hard on keeping America out of foreign 'forever' wars like Iraq, based on faulty intelligence over Saddam Hussein's non-existent weapons of mass destruction. It's why key figures in Trump's MAGA, America First base of support are dead against any US involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. But there are influential old-school Republican Iran hawks, like Senator Lindsey Graham, who are pushing the president for regime change in Iran. "Be all in, President Trump, in helping Israel eliminate the nuclear threat," Senator Graham said. "If we need to provide bombs to Israel, provide bombs. If we need to fly planes with Israel, do joint operations. "But here's the bigger question: Wouldn't the world be better off if the ayatollahs went away and were replaced by something better? Wouldn't Iran be better off?" The two sides met head-on in a fiery exchange between media figure Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, both firm Trump supporters. "How many people live in Iran, by the way?" Carlson asked. "I don't know the population at all," Cruz replied. Carlson was incredulous. "You don't know the population you seek to topple?" The big question is — which side is getting in the president's ear as he waits to decide on whether the US will attack Iran? Tulsi Gabbard certainly appears to be on the outer. Today, she took to X to try to repair the relationship with Trump. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," she wrote. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." The "missing" context was that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was "at its highest levels, and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons". She also testified that nuclear weapons advocates in the Iranian leadership were feeling "emboldened". The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also recently found that Iran has not been complying with weapons inspectors since 2019 — its first such finding in two decades. In the end, none of that may matter. Donald Trump has said he will decide in two weeks about whether to choose the military or diplomatic option. He may be waiting to see which option is more likely to succeed — or which way the debate among his supporters goes.

Sydney Morning Herald

2 hours ago

• Sydney Morning Herald

Israel-Iran conflict LIVE updates: Israel says ‘new wave' of attacks has begun; Donald Trump scorns EU peace efforts, as death toll nears 700

Go to latest Pinned post from 12.12pm What you need to know Good afternoon. If you are just joining our ongoing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East and the Israel-Iran war, here's a quick overview of the latest events: Israel and Iran launched more attacks in the past few hours, with a barrage of Iranian missiles exploding over central Israel and the Israeli Air Force bombing sites in central Iran. A missile strike on the Israeli city of Haifa wounded 30 people overnight. Israeli strikes killed at least 44 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including many who were seeking food aid, local officials said. US President Donald Trump has scorned European peace efforts, after foreign ministers from the UK, France and Germany held inconclusive talks with their Iranian counterpart. Iran says it would not discuss the future of its nuclear program while it was under attack by Israel. Israel's UN envoy told the UN Security Council his country would not stop its attacks 'until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled', while the country's top general warned of a 'prolonged campaign'. Israel's foreign minister claimed the bombing campaign had already set back Iranian efforts to build nuclear weapons efforts by two to three years. Australia has shut its embassy in Tehran, and sent defence personnel and assets to the region to help evacuate Australians. Earlier, Trump said he would decide whether the US would join military action against Iran within two weeks. 1.31pm Gabbard blames 'fake news' after Trump rebukes her over Iranian weapons program The US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has taken to social media to assert that Iran is 'weeks to months' away from producing a nuclear weapon, after US President Donald Trump branded her 'wrong' for stating in March that there was no evidence Iran was building a weapon. She said the media has taken her March testimony 'out of context' and was trying to 'manufacture division.' Trump contested intelligence assessments relayed earlier this year by his spy chief that Tehran was not building a nuclear weapon when he spoke with reporters at an airport in Morristown, New Jersey, this morning. 'She's wrong,' Trump said. Gabbard posted this morning on the social media platform X that she agreed with Trump. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' 'The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division.' 1.11pm Australians may be able to get flights out of Israel from Monday Australians wishing to leave Israel may be able to do so on commercial flights from Monday after the Israeli government said it was reopening airspace for some outgoing tourists. 'We are aware of reports airspace in Israel may reopen soon,' the government's latest travel advice says. Loading 'We're contacting registered Australians who want to leave Israel about our plans for assisted departures. 'If you have an existing ticket for cancelled flights, we encouraged you to keep speaking with airlines. This may be the fastest way for you to depart.' The federal government is urging Australians in Iran, Israel and Palestine to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade here. Israel's Transportation Minister Miri Regev said on Friday that some outgoing flights would be allowed from Monday. The federal government is advising people not to travel to the region and leave if they can. The latest warning on the website is here.

Daily Telegraph

2 hours ago

• Daily Telegraph

Tiny detail that shows Trump's wild security

Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News. In front of me was a winding path, a plethora of pine trees and an invisible line. The only clue this line even existed was the presence, just beyond it, of a single security guard. She was not to be trifled with. asked the guard if a journalist could get shot if they crossed this imperceptible barrier. 'Not shot,' she said. 'But I'd have to tackle you to the ground. 'I'd prefer not to though because I've had a lot of waffles for breakfast'. Donald Trump would be safe even without this most Canadian of security guards. Because at last week's G7 meeting of world leaders, if you'd got this close to the summit venue you'd been checked so many times already that you felt like you been stripped of even a harmful retort let alone a harmful firearm. Tiny detail on valley floor Incongruous sights abounded in and around the luxury Kananaskis Mountain Lodge resort, in the Canadian Rockies where the G7 was being held. They were both concerning and reassuring. On a valley floor, hundreds of metres from the resort down an almost sheer cliff that would challenge even the most ardent anti-Trump protester, spied something sticking out among the forest trees. Something that showed just how serious was the effort to keep Donald Trump alive. And Emmanuel Macron. And Keir Starmer. And Volodymyr Zelensky, Narendra Modi and our own Anthony Albanese. US President Donald Trump is greeted by the Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, left, at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday June 16, 2025. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool Photo via AP) A tiny detail from this far up, temporary fencing jutted out from the scraggly bush and darted towards the Kananaskis River. At its apex was a mobile security tower brimming with lights and cameras. Nothing was getting up this cliff face. But it wasn't just protesters, the Royal Mounted Canadian Police – the Mounties – who spearheaded security at the event were concerned about. It was also wildlife: specifically bears. A temporary security fence just out of a forest near Kananaskis to protect the leaders at the G7. Picture: Benedict Brook. In March, the Mounties estimated that G7 security would cost it alone at least $53 million. But that's likely a huge underestimation of the actual cost. Canada's last G7, held in 2018, cost $433 million all up, more than half of that on policing and security. Costs have shot up since a 1999 World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle CBD which descended into chaos as protesters fought police. It's now known as the 'Battle of Seattle'. Since then, the G7 summits have mostly been held in more rural locales such as Kananaskis, around 90 minutes west of Calgary. Safe, secure, but costly. The G7 could end costing Canada half a billion dollars. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 'One way in, one way out' 'One way in, one way out,' security specialist Alan Bell told The Guardian during the 2018 G7 which was held in a rustic area of Quebec. 'If you go back to some G7 meetings, the downtown core always gets trashed. 'What they want to do is zero in on the protesters. If they want to come, they basically have to walk in.' A 'controlled access zone' was set up around the Kananaskis lodge for miles around, brimming with police and cameras. But the security began way before these more physical elements. To even get near Kananaskis, or one of the secondary venues in Calgary and Banff, you had to be security vetted and accredited. Anthony Albanese's base hotel in Calgary's city centre was also home to various countries and bodies that orbited – but were not part of – the core Group of Seven nations. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Anthony Albanese hold a bilateral meeting during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit. Picture: Stefan Rousseau / NewsWire Pool Delegations lingered in the lobby, parting like Moses at the Red Sea as leaders came and went, such as Canada's PM Mark Carney. At one point NATO secretary-general and former Dutch PM Mark Rutte strolled breezily through not looking a bit like a man who has the weight of the defence of Europe on his shoulders. Barricades surrounded the hotel. Like fancy nightclubs and their notorious lists, if you didn't have the right lanyard you weren't getting in. Sirens wailing, lights flashing and engines roaring signalled a motorcade was about to depart. And this was 100km east of Kananaskis. Getting to the actual lodge would test Mission Impossible's Ethan Hunt. Police check 4 of 6, or maybe 16 – it got blurry. Picture: Benedict Brook. Six checkpoints, maybe more On Tuesday, Mr Albanese headed for Kananaskis itself to meet the G7 leaders in person – well G6 since Donald Trump left a day early. As such, the travelling Australian media – including – were invited too. First stop, Calgary airport and a draughty hanger where a screening station had been set up. Sniffer dogs complimented X-ray machines and pat downs as every item – from pads to cameras – was scrutinised. The whole process could have been quite stressful were it not for the bottomless well of cheeriness even the most formidable looking Canadian seems to possess. Next stop was special G7 buses with police officers on board for the long drive from the flat prairies to the Rocky Mountains, snow-capped even in summer. The coach was now a secure environment. If just one of us hopped off to snap a picture of the icy blue - almost milky looking - waters of mountain fed lakes, we'd all have to head back to the airport and have our bags sniffed once more. Then the checkpoints began. Plural. They started off simple: a couple of guys ensuring the coach was expected. But each time, it got more serious. At one check point accreditation was counted and examined; at another high fences began to slice through the forest. Many, many fences to protect world leaders. Picture: Benedict Brook. No bears These fences were a minimum of eight feet high. That's not just to make it hard for humans to scale but to 'limit wildlife access' stated organisers. Mountain goats, moose, and wolves roam these parts. But it's mostly overly inquisitive bears that were a worry. There are around 70 grizzlies in the area. Bears care little for controlled access zones, closed hiking routes or polite Canadians urging them to respect the cordon, so fences were the last defence. The police had a whole plan to make sure grizzly bears weren't unexpected guests at the G7. Picture: iStock Giant helicopters could be spied through the trees in temporary heliports, military Chinooks whirred overhead with VIPs, the guns got bigger with each passing checkpoint. A no fly-zone was also in place. But a flight tracking app revealed a US air force Stratotanker was ceaselessly circling, peering down on events below. A US air force plane kept watch above the G7 summit. Picture: FlightRadar24. After around six separate checkpoints, the immaculate resort grounds appeared. The media could freely roam a compound of large tents that had been erected on two tennis courts to file stories. Generally, that was it. So close, yet so many police ready to wrestle you to the ground if you dared venture further. The media village at the G7 summit in Kananaskis. Leaving this area needed a police escort for journalists. Picture: Benedict Brook. But when Mr Albanese was meeting world leaders there was an opportunity to go into the lodge itself – to the belly of the diplomatic beast. The building itself looked rustic, warming and rich. However, the police escorting you were not in the habit of letting you hang around and appreciate the amenities. There was a charming restaurant that we would not be allowed to dine in, but I liked to think France's Macron had dipped in for a cheeky croque monsieur earlier. And a souvenir shop we would not be allowed to shop at, but perhaps Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz had ducked in for a G7 souvenir mug and hoodie. To get this close needed security checks, X-rays, six checkpoints and a police escort. Picture: Benedict Brook. When Mr Albanese's hand shaking was done and his press conference was completed it was time for the Australian media to go too. But it took an hour to leave Kananaskis due to all the motorcades. These are not everyday traffic issues. Yet high up in the mountains, in the surprisingly warm air, with views that made you wonder if they should have filmed Lord of the Rings here rather than New Zealand, it wasn't the most awful place be forced to dawdle in. Alberta being all very New Zealand. Picture: Benedict Brook Not a single arrest For Canada, it was half a billion dollars well spent: not a single arrest was made at the G7. The biggest issue, Alberta Forestry and Parks Superintendent Brian Sundberg told Canada's Global News, was indeed the wildlife. 'About half of the reports were for grizzly bear and black bears,' he told local media. Bear spray, 'bear bangers,' and dogs were used to ensure they didn't even get as far as the fence. 'I'm very happy to say that all of those are minor in nature and as a result we were able to take minimal action to move the risk away'. It will be a relief to Canada's Mr Carney that no world leaders, or bears, were harmed during the G7. Originally published as Tiny detail that shows Trump's wild security